You can set your food preferences (vegetarian, low carb, paleo, etc), allergies, and foods you simply don’t like. Then, you can pick how many meals you’d like to cook and how many people you’d like to cook for.

I let the app pick my meals for the week and I opted to try three of them. One of the things I really liked about the app was that it automatically generated a shopping list for me. Since I order my groceries online, getting all of the ingredients was a breeze.

The first recipe I tried was the Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs & Kale.

Maybe I’m a slow chopper, but between the ingredients gathering, chopping and clean up, it took me much longer than the estimated 30-40 minutes. The end result tasted very . . . healthy. My husband liked it, and I was able to get my kids to eat it as well. (My one year old ended up with kale stuck in his teeth after dinner. I was cracking up every time he smiled at me all evening.)

Verdict: It wasn’t tasty enough to balance out the amount of work that went into it. However, it did help me overcome my fear of cooking with kale and gave me some ideas for future recipes.

The next recipe I tried was the Greek Frittata with Spinach, Grape Tomatoes & Feta

In theory, this is a tasty recipe. I love all of the ingredients: onions, garlic, tomatoes, spinach and cheese. However, instead of going with the egg bake cooking technique that I know works for me, I tried to cook the frittata on the stovetop, per the recipe instructions. It ended up just a tiny bit burnt on the bottom. If I made this again, I’d bake it in the oven and use smaller amounts of the ingredients. The broiled feta on the top was a nice touch.

Verdict: I wouldn’t make it again, but I’d make something similar and inspired by this recipe.

The final recipe: Skillet Dijon Chicken & Mushrooms with Asparagus.

This was my favorite meal. It was relatively easy to prepare and really quick. I only deviated slightly from the recipe. It told me to blanch the asparagus and I opted to roast it instead. I personally love roasted asparagus, but didn’t know how I felt about blanched asparagus. It also saved me the trouble of having two large pots for that step–one to boil the asparagus and another for the ice bath.

I don’t often cook full meals on the stove top, so this was a pleasant change. The leftovers were also delicious and even made a nice sandwich on the third day.

Verdict: I’d make this recipe again.

Would I use Mealime again? Yes–with some stipulations. I’d probably only do 2-3 meals, and I’d trust my instincts more when I think that I should deviate from the recipe slightly. I’d also choose a week where I have time to run into longer meal prep times than anticipated.

Have you tried Mealime? What did you think?

]]>https://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/08/i-tried-mealime-and-heres-what-i-thought/feed/0GNO/MNO – What to Wear?https://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/08/mno-what-to-wear/
https://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/08/mno-what-to-wear/#respondFri, 04 Aug 2017 20:51:43 +0000https://freshstylebylauren.com/?p=416What does a Girls’ Night Out/Moms’ Night Out (GNO/MNO) have to do with breathing fire? If you don’t know, you’re not doing it right.

I kid.

But seriously. I don’t know what I would do without my mom friends. Now, before I go any further, I will say that I also love my girlfriends without kids. There are no mom versus non-mom wars here. However, there is no one who can empathize more about being a mom of toddlers than another mom of toddlers. Over wine, we can easily discuss tantrums, diapers, and potty training for longer than I’d care to admit.

On rare occasions, when all of us can get babysitters (or our husbands are home with the kids), we go out. Dinner, drinks, dancing, etc. Last month, I got to go out with some of my favorite mom friends and was struggling to find an outfit. Here’s what I ended up with:

I’ve been trying unsuccessfully to drop my “baby weight” and have a limited range of options right now when it comes to getting dressed up and being comfortable. The last thing I wanted to feel during MNO was uncomfortable. I pulled these shorts out, and styled a denim shirt with it by tying it at my waist and rolling the cuffs. I dressed it up a bit with a chunky necklace that I won at a Stella & Dot party. I’ve had all of these pieces in my closet for years–I’ve just never put them together in one outfit. This might be my new go-to outfit to look casual, yet pulled-together. I’ve created a widget with some super options that are currently available. The necklace in the top left is my fave! Stunning! The sandals on the bottom left are very similar to the pair I’ve been wearing all summer. They are so comfortable!

]]>https://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/08/mno-what-to-wear/feed/0When You Break Your Apple Watch . . .https://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/07/when-you-break-your-apple-watch/
https://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/07/when-you-break-your-apple-watch/#respondFri, 21 Jul 2017 18:31:42 +0000https://freshstylebylauren.com/?p=329The other day, the unthinkable happened. I cracked the face of my Apple watch when it fell from a height of EIGHT inches from the ground.

That’s right. Eight. Freaking. Inches.

I’ll back up to getting this watch two years ago. It was right before the birth of our second child, and my husband surprised me with an “extraction gift”. (We renamed it from “push present” because I was having a scheduled c-section.) That gift was the Apple Sport Watch.

Almost two years later, I’m not an Apple Watch super user, but it has definitely made many aspects of my life easier. I miss fewer phone calls and texts, and can track my activity more easily. The feature that allows me to page my phone when I can’t find it has probably saved me 400 hours in the last two years (I kid, but not really). Did you know that they have a Nike integration now? The gold with the dark blue band is really stylish too!

So, back to the terrible day. I’d taken both of my kids swimming and had tucked the watch into the bottom of the stroller. Apple says that the watch is water resistant, but why chance it? As I was loading up the car after swimming and pulled one of the bags from the bottom of the stroller, the watch flopped out, fell eight inches and shattered the glass along one side of the watch face.

Ugh. The watch still worked, but I was not comfortable wearing it. I have small kids–I can’t wear something that could sprinkle glass shards all over them.

We looked for places that might repair Apple watches–no dice. They just replace the entire unit for about $220. My husband found one on Ebay for $170 and purchased it for me. It turns out that the seller was shady and never mailed it. (We did get our money back.) As I prepared to bite the bullet and purchase the $220 replacement, I thought I’d look for some sort of cover to protect my new watch from shattering.

I was looking through protective covers on Amazon, when I stumbled upon a flexible, plastic cover that fit over the entire watch head. An idea popped into my head. Could I use this cover (that’s less than $10) to make my current watch work again?? (Link here.)

The answer is yes, but not 100%. With the way that the watch shattered, it’s no longer water resistant, and this cover only covers the top and sides of the watch. If I sweat at all (i.e. wear it while I work out), or get water on it, the plastic cover traps all of the sweat between the cover and the watch face.

All that being said, I have been able to postpone paying the $220 to replace my watch with a new one. For now . . .

]]>https://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/07/when-you-break-your-apple-watch/feed/0My Favorite Backpackhttps://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/07/my-favorite-backpack/
https://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/07/my-favorite-backpack/#respondFri, 21 Jul 2017 18:10:42 +0000https://freshstylebylauren.com/?p=335A few months ago, I started following the fabulous ladies over at TheMomEdit. This backpack was mentioned over and over as “the best”, “comfortable”, and “stylish” bag ever. I don’t know about you, but those are all qualities that I would want in a bag, so I checked it out. It’s the Rebecca Minkoff Julian Backpack.

I started out with the medium Julian in a beautiful gray/beige color. I was able to fit my full size wallet, sunglasses case, and other essentials in it. I absolutely love the small zippered pockets on the side. I keep lipsticks and my lip balm pot in them. The medium version I purchased also has a flat pocket along the back that fit my iPhone 7+ perfectly. The bag in the bottom right corner most closely matches the one I have, but this one looks to be suede versus leather.

I was carrying the the medium so much, I started strongly considering purchasing the full size Julian as well. After much deliberation, I ended up purchasing the the tan version of the larger bag (the bag on the bottom).

Now, I own a lot of purses. I’ve carefully assembled a collection of bags that I absolutely love, and I usually rotate my purses every couple of weeks. However, since buying the Julian, it’s almost become the only bag that I carry. I have two very busy boys, and keeping up with them in public can be tricky. In addition to looking really stylish, it’s incredibly comfortable. I often forget that I have it on! I now regularly check the Rebecca Minkoff website for new colors and fabrics. The nylon one is really tempting!

Some dressing room selfies with my favorite bag.

Have you tried the Julian? Tell me your favorite bag!

]]>https://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/07/my-favorite-backpack/feed/0Gift Ideas When You Want to Veer Off of the Baby Registry of the Mom-To-Behttps://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/07/baby-shower-gift-ideas/
https://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/07/baby-shower-gift-ideas/#respondFri, 14 Jul 2017 17:52:47 +0000https://freshstylebylauren.com/?p=295So you’ve been invited to your friend’s/office mate’s/relative’s baby shower–yay! Right?

When I had my first child, the process of putting together my registry was overwhelming and not a whole lot of fun. Did you know that there are thousands of baby products?!? And within each baby product category, there’s thousand of variations. (I exaggerate, but only slightly.)

Say that you’ve gotten your invitation, and scoped out the baby registry, but nothing is jumping out at you. I can’t blame you. Diaper genies, baby bathtubs, and rectal thermometers do not get my heart racing. Here are some nice options if you’d like to strike out on your own to find that special something for the mom-to-be.

These aren’t the mom bangle, but some other cute options that celebrate other life occasions and relationships.

The kate spade mom idiom bangle. It comes in both silver and gold–whichever your friend would prefer. I can’t always find it on their website, so I stock up when I do stumble across it. kate spade will often include it in one of their sales, which drops the price to about $36. I definitely stock up when it’s on sale.

A grocery delivery subscription. I started using Shipt a few months and it’s been life-changing. I log onto their website, order my groceries, select a delivery time and they bring them right to my door. A few things to consider with this gift: 1) Will your friend use this? 2) Cost. Items are routinely priced slightly higher than what they retail for in the store. For me, I’m saving so much by not impulse buying, the markup is negligible. A six month subscription to the service costs about $50.

Freezer Meals. If you’re on a budget, but still want to do something really nice for your friend, freezer meals (with the accompanying recipe in case they want to make it again) are a great gift. Now, you might not want to bring the meals to the shower, but a nice card explaining your gift is a lovely gesture. (Then deliver those freezer meals closer to her due date.)

Cleaning Service. Again, this really depends on the mom. I would have protested if this was given to me, but I would have secretly loved it. (And I would have told the gifter how much I appreciated the gift.)

Boppy Lounger. This item felt so frivolous when I purchased, but I loved it! It’s a easy to move around the home and provided some variety for my little one–he wasn’t always flat on his back, being carried around, or hanging out in his Mamaroo.

A Mani/Pedi Giftcard + Childcare. I still remember my first pedicure after baby #1. It felt so neat to get out among other adults, sip a small glass of wine (included with pedicure–I miss my Nashville nail salon), and enjoy some peace and quiet. The giftcard is self-explanatory, the childcare part is where you volunteer to watch the baby while your friend enjoys a brief R&R.

Children’s Books. There are approximately 1,546,348,897 children’s books. Again, I exaggerate, but not by much. With babies, board books are best. Babies are terrible about ripping pages out of books. Some of the favorites in our house are the Llama Llama books, the Little Blue Truck series, and The Wonderful Things You Will Be.

What was the baby shower gift you’ve received? What else would you add?

]]>https://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/07/baby-shower-gift-ideas/feed/0Some of My Favorite Gym Tipshttps://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/06/some-of-my-favorite-gym-tips/
https://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/06/some-of-my-favorite-gym-tips/#respondSun, 18 Jun 2017 01:55:59 +0000https://freshstylebylauren.com/?p=225I’ve been a regular gym user for over a decade. Thirteen years ago, I was overweight, unhealthy and newly single. I wanted a change and I found that at the gym. When I first started going, I could barely walk on the treadmill for more than 20 minutes, but as I kept going back, I got stronger. I ended up dropping about 40 pounds and became a lifelong gym user.

Several years into my relationship with working out, I started showering and getting dressed in the gym locker rooms. It just made sense to me. I got my exercise done first thing in the morning and headed into the office for the day. There were no crowds and I always had my evenings free to do what I wanted.

When I had my first baby, I joined the local YMCA. The membership included 2 hours of free childcare per day–AMAZING!!! I could get back to my workout/shower routine. If you’re a mom of little kids, you know how hard it is to get a peaceful shower with kids underfoot—getting any kind of shower is hard!

I try to get to the gym several days a week and here are few things I do to make that routine easier.

1 – Find a gym bag that works for you. Assess how much “stuff” you need to take and find a bag that easily fits all of it. I currently use a canvas, zip-top bag similar to the style you can purchase at Land’s End or L.L. Bean. Here are some other adorable options:

2 – Invest in a good lock. I’m terrible at combination locks, so I purchased a lock and key set by Masterlock. How do I not lose my key? I tie it into my headphone cord while I work out.

3 – I protect my hair from moisture when I shower. I only wash my hair a couple of times per week, and the showers at my YMCA are like firehoses. One way that I preserve my hairstyle is a hair wrap, but some of these shower caps would be fun as well!

4 – Moisturize in the shower. I’m not comfortable walking around naked in the locker room, or slathering my entire body with lotion while in the company of others. If you’d like to take the time to analyze that, feel free. I’ve got better things to do. So, the way I moisturize my skin is using some kind of body oil after I’ve showered and before I’ve toweled off. It’s super easy and absorbs quickly. Here are a few oils that I like as well as some “shower lotion” products whose reviews seemed very promising.

5 – Download your favorite shows, and watch them while you work out. This was a game changer for me. I now regularly do 43-ish minutes of cardio every time I hit the gym. It’s so easy. I download a show that I enjoy watching and, boom! Cardio done. Currently, I’m re-watching every single episode of NCIS. I love a good mystery.

6 – Dry shampoo. How do I extend my hairstyle for 3-4 days? I used Living Proof Dry Shampoo. I’ve tried several and this one is hands-down, my favorite. It “cleans” my hair and doesn’t leave a super perfume-y odor.

7 – I never empty my gym bag. I go to the gym often enough that there isn’t any value in me unpacking my bag. I always keep my makeup, travel toiletries, gym lock, ear phones, etc in my gym bag. It makes forgetting things much more difficult. Now, I’ve forgotten things from time to time, but it’s usually nothing that totally derails my day.

I enjoy my cardio-doing, video-watching, showering-alone gym time. Find what works for you! If you enjoy classes, find a class to try out! If you enjoy running outside, some YMCA’s will let you run/walk outside as long as you promise to stay within a certain radius of the building. Taking the time to exercise is an investment in yourself. And if you’re a stay at home mom like me, childcare services at the gym can provide some socialization with other kids and caregivers.

]]>https://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/06/some-of-my-favorite-gym-tips/feed/0beautyblender reviewhttps://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/05/beautyblender-review/
https://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/05/beautyblender-review/#respondThu, 25 May 2017 01:49:33 +0000https://freshstylebylauren.com/?p=271I don’t often wear foundation. I don’t have the mental energy for it nor the need to wear it daily.

However, there are times where I’d like to look a bit spiffier and smoother than normal. I dreaded having to deal with anything besides foundation and a bit of concealer.

Enter the beautyblender. My world was forever changed.

This tool doesn’t save me time, but it saves me large amounts of mental energy. It also gives me a great finished look I don’t have to work that hard to accomplish. All you have to do is wet the beautyblender, wring out the excess moisture, dip it into your foundation/concealer/beauty product of choice and (essentially) mindlessly blot it against your face over and over. The resulting look I achieve using the beautyblender is very natural, and I don’t have to exhaust any extra mental energy or frustration getting it.

This product has a few downsides. One, it doesn’t save me much time. Between all of the blotting and then the cleaning of the sponge after each use, I don’t shave any time off of my beauty routine. Two, at $20 a pop and replacing mine every 3-4 months (I don’t use it every day), this is a pricey tool.

All things considered, if you do regularly use foundation/BB cream/CC cream/tinted moisturizer and aren’t happy with your finished look, I’d definitely recommend checking out the beautyblender!

]]>https://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/05/beautyblender-review/feed/0Vests: A Mom’s Best Friendhttps://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/03/vests-a-moms-best-friend/
https://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/03/vests-a-moms-best-friend/#respondSat, 04 Mar 2017 20:41:48 +0000https://freshstylebylauren.com/?p=230I haven’t bounced back from child #2 like I did with child #1. Both of my kids were 9.5 pounds, and after my first baby, my body snapped back beautifully. I was very active with my first son. We went to the YMCA almost daily. And, the only time he would take good naps was in the stroller, so we walked, and walked and walked. With regular workouts, daily walks, and nursing, I couldn’t keep weight on. I regularly ate cookies and doughnuts twice a day and still dropped to the lowest weight I’d ever been in my adult life.

Fast forward to having another child: now there’s a two year old and an infant in the mix. Between the two kids, one always seemed to have a cold that would preclude me from being able to put them into childcare at the gym so that I could work out. There was also the added work of caring for two children, eating lots of convenience (often junky) food, and not taking those long walks with the stroller. And, did I mention that we bought a house and moved in the middle of all of this?

Combine all of those factors, and that baby weight that fell off after my last pregnancy just wasn’t coming off quite as easily. And a bunch of it happily settled around my waistline. I was kinda squashy.

I found some great, blousy tops to camouflage it, and my nursing camis held it in as well. I thought for sure I’d drop that weight sooner or later. However, 13 months later, I’ve still got it. I worry less about it, but I’d still like it gone. In the meantime though, let’s talk about the magic of VESTS.

In addition to hiding a midsection I’m not loving at the moment, they can make an outfit look more pulled together with minimal effort.

Here’s a great example of how a vest can make you look pulled together on even the worst days. My son is miserably sick in this photo, but doesn’t he look fabulous? (I kid, I kid.) Sometimes giant sunglasses help too . . .

Here are some great sporty options. You could pair these with a t-shirt and yoga pants or jeans and instantly look more pulled-together.

If you’re looking for something that might pair well with jeans or other casual pants, check these out. As the temperatures warm up, you could probably wear the quilted vest with casual spring dresses and capris. I think the quilting and the plaid pattern makes a standard “puffy vest” just a bit dressier.

If you need to “get fancy”, these are some great options! I have worn my faux fur vest dozens of times this winter. Some of these are a bit pricier than what I’d normally spend, but the design details are so distinctive and fun!

Happy shopping!!

]]>https://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/03/vests-a-moms-best-friend/feed/0I Tried it: Botoxhttps://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/02/i-tried-it-botox/
https://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/02/i-tried-it-botox/#respondWed, 22 Feb 2017 15:44:32 +0000https://freshstylebylauren.com/?p=227After the birth of our second child, I started to notice something in just about every single photo of myself.

I looked exhausted.

Yes, I now have two kids (one being a newborn when I first noticed this), and I’m inching closer to middle age, but . . . .

I changed up my skincare routine. I started using gentler cleansers and more potent skin moisturizers. I changed my makeup brands, but I still wasn’t happy with how I looked. (I’ve deleted many of these photos. Here are just two that I could find.)

One of my friends (who happens to be a bit older than me) has amazing skin. I asked her how she took care of her skin. She told me: Botox and La Mer. She also referred me to a local Board Certified Plastic Surgeon for a consult. (I’ll talk about La Mer another time. Let’s keep talking about Botox.)

I scheduled my consult and it was great. Dr. Draper answered a lot of questions about how it worked, results, costs, etc. I was ready to set my appointment! But, boo. I was still nursing. There’s no official research relating to nursing and Botox, but the doctor wouldn’t do it. I was going to have to wait until I finished nursing him. Six months later, I was ready to go!

The actual procedure isn’t painful. The nurse numbed my forehead, the doctor poked me several times with a needle full of Botox, and I was done. My doctor told me to stay upright the rest of the day and abstain from working out until the next day. Here’s my forehead right after getting all of my injections. Gorgeous, right?

One thing I didn’t realize about Botox before getting it is that it can take several days to take full effect. In fact, my doctor won’t “re-treat” a patient (i.e. give more Botox) for a minimum of two weeks to ensure that the first round of injections has taken full effect. It was 5-7 days before I finally saw those forehead lines truly disappear. The sensation of those paralyzed muscles can take some getting used to. Initially, my forehead would often feel “heavy”–that’s the best way I can think to describe it.

I’ve had it done twice now, and have been extremely pleased with the results. Have you tried it? What did you think? Leave me a comment

]]>https://freshstylebylauren.com/2017/02/i-tried-it-botox/feed/0My First C-Section Experiencehttps://freshstylebylauren.com/2015/11/my-first-c-section-experience/
https://freshstylebylauren.com/2015/11/my-first-c-section-experience/#respondThu, 26 Nov 2015 01:17:57 +0000https://freshstylebylauren.com/?p=165I was around 32-34 weeks pregnant when I found out that my baby was in a breech position. My doctor calmly explained that there was a high likelihood that I would need a c-section because he was sitting breech so late in my pregnancy and because he was such a big baby. I really didn’t hear anything she said after “you’ll probably need a c-section” and upon leaving her office, I ugly-cried in my car for about 20 minutes.

I couldn’t believe that I wasn’t going to get to have a “normal” birth. I was cruuuuuuuushed.

So, I was going to have a c-section. I started googling furiously. I wanted to know what a c-section was like and exactly what the procedure was. What I found really scared me. There are lots of blog posts out there about different women’s c-section experiences, and each person’s experience is unique. However, most of the blogs I read, those women’s experiences weren’t great.

Let me tell you about mine.

First, let’s assume that you’ve read about what happens during a c-section. It’s surgery—your abdomen is open on an operating table and people have their hands inside of you. It’s no walk in the park, but it’s not a completely debilitating either.

I went in for my scheduled c-section in November of 2013. The night before, my husband and I went out for a lovely dinner, came back, spent one final quiet evening together, and went to bed. In the morning, I got up and showered, did my hair, put on some make-up (because, let’s be honest, first photos) and we headed to the hospital.

Then you have a c-section. Since our son was breech, his head was the last thing to come out. Now, I couldn’t feel or see a thing, I just laid on the other side of that sterile drape with my husband waiting to hear that first cry. When it finally came, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. They wrapped him up and I got to hold him almost right away. (After the cleaning up, cord cutting, etc.) I got to hold him the entire time they stitched me up and I was wheeled to recovery. Our doctor snapped our first family photo.

I had some pain in my shoulder right after they pulled my son out (this can happen), but one of the OR nurses massaged it for me and worked out moving it around a bit to keep me more comfortable. I spent some time in the recovery area and then got moved into my hospital room.

I spent the afternoon relaxing and holding my baby. I still had the catheter in because my spinal was still wearing off. (How thoughtful of them to not let me pee myself.) Once the spinal wore off, I took my first lap around the maternity ward. My husband (who is a doctor) told me that I could take the day off if I wanted to, but one of the key elements of a speedier recovery is to get your body moving. I took my first walk just a few hours after my surgery. It was a slow, and careful walk, but a walk nonetheless.

I was also finally also able to have clear liquids—I was so thirsty! However, be sure to pace yourself. I say this, because I didn’t. (I’ll spare you the details, but it wasn’t pleasant.) One of the current rules about open abdominal surgeries is no solid foods until you pass gas. I delivered my son on a Tuesday and wasn’t able to eat until 1 am on Thursday morning. Definitely pack snacks! It’s hard to order take out at 1 am.

As Wednesday and Thursday went on, I kept walking with my son every day—a few laps around the maternity ward 2-3 times a day. I also took a shower and padded around the hospital room. I think the hardest part of those first few days was getting up and laying down, but it wasn’t terrible.

C-section babies are sometimes slow to start nursing and mine definitely was. He showed very little interest on day 1, and not much on day 2 or 3. I started to panic a bit. The hospital provided me with a pump and I began pumping to get things going. However, before we left the hospital, we did supplement with formula.

We left the hospital on a Friday morning. When we got home, I made lunch and unpacked my bag. I wasn’t too sore or stiff, but I was careful. I took another glorious shower and settled in to take care of our new little one. By the time my family showed up for Thanksgiving two weeks later, I was pretty much back to normal.

Here are some things that I found helpful during my pregnancy and c-section recovery:

1 – I exercised throughout my entire pregnancy. I know this was a HUGE help in making my recovery so smooth.

2 – I got moving as soon as I could after my c-section and kept moving. Just 2-3 short walks around the hospital floor a few times a day made a huge difference.

3 – Staying hydrated. I drank lots of water—lots.

4 – I stayed ahead of my pain. I took all of my pain meds on schedule. I also started stool softeners in the hospital. The pain pills the hospital provides really helped manage my pain very well, but I can’t say it did the same for my bowels.

5 – I ate plenty of good, nutritious foods once I was cleared for solids. Nursing takes a lot of calories, so eat up!

If you’re facing the possibility of the c-section, I hope that reading a positive experience helps!